A New Champion Crowned in Fort Lauderdale

Despite one of the coldest days in Fort Lauderdale’s history, the beach came alive with energy as the National Beach Soccer League staged the 2026 NBSL Fort Lauderdale Open. Now in its fifth edition, the event featured youth categories from U8 to U14, alongside a headline Women’s Pro Division.

Clubs from California, Virginia Beach and Florida competed in the nine-team Women’s Pro Division, with the title ultimately claimed by Cruzn of Santa Cruz, California.

In an all–Northern California final, Cruzn dethroned the reigning three-time champions Cali BSC with a 4–2 victory. The final was led by tournament MVP Grace Bailey, with goals also coming from Harune and Morger, who scored twice. For Cali BSC, Hadler and Sunseri-Warp found the net.

In the third-place play-off, first-time participants and newly formed Northern California club NMD Beach, led by Ali Hall, defeated BSVB 5–0, with Ashley Tripplet standing out for the Virginia-based side.

The tournament also featured international players from Japan, Brazil, Portugal, Italy and El Salvador, among others, underlining the growing global reach of women’s beach soccer.

The final was officiated by Juan Ángeles and Jonathan Terrero (Dominican Republic), Julio Ramos (El Salvador) and Wendy Lara (Guatemala).

This event marked the first women’s-only professional beach soccer tournament in the United States reaffirming NBSL’s commitment to the growth and development of women’s beach soccer.

2026 NBSL Individual Awards

• Rising Star: Marissa Vasquez (NMD Beach)
• Golden Glove: Yu Ishikawa (Cruzn)
• Golden Toe: Samantha Martinez (Cali BSC)
• MVP: Grace Bailey (Cruzn)